Hawkeye Reporter

There were 18 deaths from Alzheimer's disease reported in Iowa in the week ending May 29, making up 3.1 percent of total deaths by all causes in Iowa, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending May 29, there were 574 deaths in the state. 22.1 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, 23.5 percent were from cancer and 7.3 percent were from COVID-19. Additionally, 8.5 percent of deaths were from Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Studies show doctors and medical examiners may underreport Alzheimer's disease and dementia-related conditions as the underlying cause of death on death certificates, according to the National Institute on Aging.

Once infected, older adults with dementia are likely to develop a more severe and dangerous illness. The diseases which make an older adult more vulnerable to COVID-19 are age-associated chronic conditions, according to the Bright Focus Foundation.

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	135	23.5
Heart disease	127	22.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	27	4.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	26	4.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	22	3.8
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	20	3.5
Alzheimer's disease	18	3.1
Diabetes mellitus	17	3
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.7
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	< 10	< 1.7

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	49	8.5